


Shadow

by Swadari



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Backstory, Bonding, Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Holding Hands, M/M, Spoilers for Jamil's Fate Episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 02:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14727965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swadari/pseuds/Swadari
Summary: Jamil remembers the day he first laid eyes on Gran, not least because it was the day he nearly lost his life.





	Shadow

Jamil is a shadow.  
  
Entrusting themselves to someone was not a decision the assassins of Urzhuwan took lightly. Once upon a time, Jamil was taught that choosing someone to serve could be a lifelong process. Some assassins lived their life and passed on without encountering the right person, others found their servitude in their targets. Jamil could understand that. You learn a lot about someone when you're preparing to assassinate them. Even more with a blade flush against their throats.  
  
Jamil remembers the day he first laid eyes on Gran, not least because it was the day he nearly lost his life. Even stumbling around town in his fatigued and injured state, he had felt strangely drawn towards the captain. Those careful glances Gran had cast about with sharp yet gentle eyes, the cautious gait of someone trying to go unnoticed, and the subtle body language of someone honed in the art of battle - though Jamil had known at the time that this strange pair was trying not to draw attention to themselves, he could not help but approach them for help. If only to get a closer look at the young man who had caught his eye.  
  
Up close, he had sensed how inseparable Gran and Lyria was. Gran had looked relaxed, casual. His smile had been - and always was reassuring. Jamil remembered the slightest shift in Gran's stance as he approached - a harmless turn to the untrained eye, but the action had given Gran the space and position to defend Lyria from this odd stranger that had walked up to them if the need arose. His hand had twitched almost imperceptibly towards his scabbard. A lesser person would have taken offense. Jamil only remembered fascination.  
  
Lyria's selflessness had taken Jamil aback. He had provided her and Gran with an avenue of escape, yet she had recklessly endangered herself to save him. Not that he needed the distraction, but it was still kind of her. And kindness was something Jamil had almost forgotten, having lived alone and constantly on the move for so long.  
  
Fighting alongside Gran had cemented his opinion of the captain. It was the first time they had fought together, yet they had worked perfectly as a team. Jamil had been a liability at the time with his broken rib. Any sane man would have left him behind as fodder to make a clean escape. But Gran had defended his weak spots, created openings, and assisted him in carving a path through the guards as they made for Gran's airship. The sight of Gran and his blade flashing and dancing through soldiers had robbed Jamil of the pain thundering through his body, replaced with respect for the captain.  
  
When Gran and Lyria had offered him a place on their ship, Jamil had gratefully accepted. While he had felt a strange sense of longing and a reluctance to part, he hadn't expected them to invite him to join them. But they did, and it cemented his decision to offer himself in exchange. It wasn't a matter of repaying a debt, though others might have seen it as such. He had felt it then. His place was by their side.  
  
Lyria was always guarded by Katalina. As such, Jamil dedicated himself to protecting Gran with equal devotion. As he grew accustomed to the societal norms of regular people who didn't spend their lives under assassin clans, he came to understand that Gran might find his constant presence an annoyance. Noting this, Jamil remained out of sight or stayed hidden at the safest of times. Though the airship was the only place Jamil felt completely at ease, he still took precautions to ensure Gran's safety. 

It was his duty as a shadow.

 

* * *

  
One cold night in the captain's bedroom, Jamil started to doze off on the floor. He was a light sleeper, so he often sneaked into Gran's quarters an hour or two after Gran went to bed and slept there. Then, he'd get up before daybreak and quietly slip out. It was the best way to guarantee Gran's safety.  
  
It's a little chillier than he expected. His thin blanket offered little resistance to the cold, but Jamil bore it stoically. For Gran's sake, he could withstand any temperature.  
  
But as he drifted off to sleep, Gran's soft voice breaks the silence.  
  
"Wouldn't it be better if you shared my bed?"  
  
Jamil started. With widened eyes he looked up at the bed where Gran had sat up. His master's head is tilted, expression partly illuminated by the moon shining in through the window. He absorbs the curious look on Gran's face. It wasn't anger or surprise or displeasure, but concern, with a sleepy yet fond smile playing across his lips.  
  
For the first time in his life, Jamil felt his heart skip a beat.  
  
"Master," he protests. "I'll be fine on the floor. Please, don't mind me."  
  
The bed was big enough, no question. Big enough for three, really. But to intrude on Gran's personal space like that - Jamil shakes his head quickly despite his shivering fingers. He thrusts his hands behind his back lest they betray his state.  
  
Gran looks at the window. And when he turns back to look at Jamil, there's mischief dancing in his eyes. "An enemy could come in through the window. Wouldn't it be best to stay here by my side?"  
  
Jamil starts again. The thought had not occurred to him. A terrible oversight. It was true that he might not react fast enough should an assassin strike from the window, but...  
  
Gran lifts the blanket on his left, where the window faces. He scoots over a little. "Here."  
  
"Master...yes, of course."  
  
Gran waits patiently for him to climb into the bed and settle down before pulling the blanket over him. Then, he takes Jamil's hands into his own, squeezing them tightly for a brief moment. The warmth that engulfed Jamil's fingers was nothing compared to the heat that was spreading through his body. The intimate way Gran laces their fingers together brings a flush to Jamil's face. He gasps, but he doesn't flinch from the contact. Why would he? He belonged to his Master, heart and soul. Carrying out Master's orders is his duty.  
  
The words come freely to his mind as usual - words that he takes deep pleasure in thinking, great pride in saying. But for some reason, Jamil feels his face heat up even more.  
  
"Jamil?"  
  
"Master..?"  
  
"You don't need to hide anymore." Gran smiles. "Stay by my side. Openly. You don't have to be just a shadow. You can be my light."  
  
"..Master.."  
  
Jamil swallows a lump of emotion. What was this feeling bubbling inside him? Gran's fingers tighten between his own. He responds with a firm nod, secretly enjoying Gran's touch.  
  
Slowly, with the utmost care, he brings Gran's hands to his lips and kisses them gently in turn. He doesn't look, but he can feel Gran's smile.  
  
Maybe..it wasn't very secret at all.  
  
"I will."

**Author's Note:**

> Jamil is a good boy, please love him.


End file.
